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Week of 7/23/06
Busch to marry Eva Bryan
Kurt Busch will be married by the time they head to Indianapolis next weekend. Kurt will marry fiance Eva Bryan, who before their first date thought that Kurt was a veterinarian because that's what his spotter Jeremy Brickhouse told Eva. That didn't last long because on their first date, Kurt was on TV after finishing 3rd at Pocono earlier that same day. July 28, 2006
Childress penalties stand
Richard Childress Racing's appeal of Kevin Harvick's Busch crew chief being suspended for 6 races was denied. So NASCAR's points docking, suspension, and probation of Shane Wilson will stand from violations at Daytona back on June 30th. July 28, 2006
Who's hot going into this weekend?
Kevin Harvick leads the series by 348, and has the most wins with 4
Clint Bowyer sits 3rd in points and has led the most races
Denny Hamlin has 4 polls this year so far July 28, 2006
Benny Parsons has lung cancer
Benny Parsons announced Wednesday that he has lung cancer and his treatment starts immediately. Benny plans to continue his TV analyst job on NBC/TNT during his treatment. "BP" is the 1973 Cup Series champion, a Daytona 500 and Coke 600 winner. Friends and fans wishing to send words of encouragement to Parsons can do so by e-mailing him at bp@goprn.com or on a special message board at http://boards.nascar.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=nascarmeet&msg=602.1&ctx=0
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CONCORD, N.C. (July 26, 2006) - Benny Parsons is all about winning.
He's the 1973 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion; a Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 winner; and, in recent years, has emerged as one of NASCAR's leading television and radio commentators. Now, Parsons is calling upon that winning attitude as he battles lung cancer. Parsons, 65, had experienced difficulty breathing and, after consulting with physicians, was informed by his family doctor, Dr. Scott Moss of Charlotte, that he has the disease. His treatment regimen starts immediately. "Needless to say this was a huge shock," said Parsons. "I've got a great deal of faith in all of my physicians, including Dr. Steven Limenpani, who treated NASCAR car owner Rick Hendrick during his battle with leukemia.
I'm determined to pull through this and I appreciate everyone's concerns and prayers during this time. "The first thing everyone asks me is, 'are you a smoker?' The answer is that I smoked my last cigarette way back in 1978 and since then I've hated being around smoking. I don't even allow anyone in my foursome to smoke on the golf course." Parsons is an analyst on NBC and TNT's coverage of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing and hosts "Fast Talk with Benny Parsons" on the Performance Racing Network. He plans to continue his duties with NBC/TNT and PRN throughout his treatment. "Everyone I work with has been gracious and accommodating," said Parsons. "I plan to keep on talking about racing for as long as I can." July 26, 2006
Ginn buys majority of MB2 Motorsports
The majority of MB2 Motorsports has been sold to Bobby Ginn, and the remaining will stay with current GM and CEO Jay Frye. The new ownership takes effect immediately, and will continue to field Joe Nemechek's #01 car, and Sterling Marlin's #14 which will now have Ginn Resorts on the hood for an additional 10 races this year.
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CELEBRATION, Fla. (July 26, 2006) -- MB2 Motorsports, which fields NASCAR Nextel Cup entries for drivers Joe Nemechek and Sterling Marlin, has announced a change of ownership.
Real estate developer Bobby Ginn (pronounced GHIN) has purchased all of the shares owned by MB2 majority owner and founding partner Nelson Bowers. The business transaction takes effect immediately.
Jay Frye, MB2's general manager and chief executive officer since the formation of the racing organization in 1996, will continue in the same capacity and retain his ownership in the company.
Ginn's majority interest and Frye's interest comprise 100 percent ownership of MB2 Motorsports.
Ginn, 57, is president and founder of the Celebration, Fla.-based Ginn Resorts, a privately held resort development and management firm, specializing in exclusive leisure lifestyle and vacation destination communities in the United States.
Ginn Sports Entertainment, a division of Ginn Resorts, is responsible for producing sporting-related events along with managing and sponsoring several LPGA and Champions Tour golf events in Florida and South Carolina.
"We recognize the importance and relevance of NASCAR fans and sponsors to the overall success of our brand," said Ginn, a native of Hampton, S.C. "MB2 has outstanding partners in the U.S. Army, Waste Management, CENTRIX Financial, Wiley X Eyewear, Ginn Resorts and Mighty Auto Parts. The goal as the new owner is simple -- to work as hard as we can to build on the successes of the team and make a commitment to providing our race teams with the resources necessary to get them into Victory Lane.”
Also announced today is that Ginn Resorts, which has been an MB2 primary sponsor at selected Cup events in 2006, has added 10 races to its primary-sponsorship package on Marlin's No. 14 Chevrolet. The sponsorship will be managed through Ginn Sports Entertainment.
Regarding the sale of his shares in MB2, Bowers said, "I have thoroughly enjoyed all facets of being a NASCAR team owner for the past 10 years. It's been a memorable and fascinating ride and I wish Bobby, Jay and the entire MB2 organization nothing but success."
"Nelson was one of the catalysts in the formation of MB2 and we are all grateful for what he has provided in his ownership role during the past 10 years," said Frye. "He is a great friend and will always be part of the MB2 legacy.”
“We are entering an exciting new era and I look forward to working closely with Bobby in creating a new level of competition for MB2 Motorsports,” Frye added. “Along with being innovative and resourceful, Bobby is deeply committed to do what it takes to grow MB2.”
Along with its Nextel Cup teams, MB2 has a driver development program in place with Kraig Kinser in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Jesus Hernandez in the Drive for Diversity program.
The MB2 team shop is based in Mooresville, N.C.
July 26, 2006
Unleaded fuel debuts this weekend
Unleaded fuel will make its NASCAR debut this weekend at Gateway and will be used for the next 4 races. Then they will evaluate how it performed, and get engine builder feedback before deciding on when all 3 series will use it full time. NASCAR hopes to have it running for Speedweeks 2007.
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Unleaded fuel will first be used for the NASCAR Busch Series race at Gateway. The plan is to evaluate the use of unleaded fuel over several NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events this season before making a decision on when it will be mandated for all three national series.
• Unleaded fuel will be used for four weeks before undergoing an evaluation period. After Gateway, the fuel will be used at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis Aug. 4-5 for the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series; at Watkins Glen for the NASCAR Busch Series and Nashville Superspeedway for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on Aug. 12; and at Michigan International Speedway for the NASCAR Busch Series on Aug. 19.
• After those events, competitors will return to their regular fuel for four weeks while NASCAR, Sunoco and team engine builders evaluate the effects of the new fuel. On Sept. 23 the NASCAR Busch Series (Dover International Speedway) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) will resume using unleaded fuel for the remainder of the season.
• Following the season, a decision will be made on the future of unleaded fuel. NASCAR had previously announced a switch to unleaded fuel by 2008. The current goal is to have all three national series using unleaded fuel fulltime by Speedweeks of 2007. July 25, 2006
Keller to make 400th career Busch start
Jason Keller will finally make his 400th career Busch start at Indianapolis Raceway Park in a couple of weeks. Keller has been sidelined for a while now after losing his ride, and will get the chance to drive the #66 Brewco Motorsports Ford on August 5th. July 25, 2006
NASCAR looks for tires with holes
NASCAR has been on the lookout for teams intentionally putting tiny holes in their tires to reduce pressure build up during the race. In fact they took a serious look at Clint Bowyer's left front tires after the Busch race at Martinsville. They found no problems as it turned out to be in the valve stem. July 25, 2006
POINT STANDINGS | BUSCH SERIES
Heading into Gateway this weekend
10 Kenny Wallace
9 Johnny Sauter
8 Kyle Busch
7 Paul Menard
6 Greg Biffle (hasn't even run all the races)
5 J.J. Yeley
4 Denny Hamlin
3 Clint Bowyer
2 Carl Edwards
1 Kevin Harvick still owns this series, he's up by 348 July 25, 2006
Stewart takes 100% of the blame
Tony Stewart issued an apology yesterday for his Pocono incident:
"I'm taking 100 percent responsibility for the final incident that occurred on lap 32 between myself, the 07 (Bowyer) and the 99 (Edwards). It was totally my fault.
"At the same time, there were circumstances that led up to that wreck, and after talking with Clint this morning, we both have a better understanding as to what happened. He was trying to get out of my way and didn't realize that I had gone to the outside. He thought I was to his inside, and when he tried to give me some room, he slid into us and it put us into the outside wall. I reacted, causing the wreck that I take responsibility for and regret." July 24, 2006
POINT STANDINGS | CUP SERIES
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 15 points outside the top 10
10 Tony Stewart back in, after spending a week in 11th
9 Jeff Gordon
8 Denny Hamlin up 4 spots with his win
7 Kasey Kahne
6 Mark Martin
5 Kevin Harvick
4 Kyle Busch
3 Jeff Burton
2 Matt Kenseth
1 Jimmie Johnson July 24, 2006
Quick Cap - Top 10
RACE RECAP | POCONO
10 Martin Truex Jr.
9 Jeff Burton call him Mr. Consistency
8 Bobby Labonte
7 Tony Stewart recovered from a rough driving black flag penalty
6 Jimmie Johnson
5 Kevin Harvick
4 Brian Vickers
3 Jeff Gordon
2 Kurt Busch
VICTORY LANE
1 Denny Hamlin does it again, two polls, two Pocono wins...leading 151 laps to pick up his second career win.
OTHER STORIES ON THE DAY
-Tony Stewart got tangled up with Clint Bowyer early on, Clint then wrecked with Carl Edwards, Tony was black flagged.
-Later heading into the pits Carl Edwards spun the 20 of Tony Stewart earning himself a black flag, the 99 finishes 39th
-Dale Earnhardt Jr. got spun on the straightaway by Dave Blaney, and for the second week in a row the #8 car finished 43rd and drops out of the top 10 in points to 11th
-Last weeks winner Kyle Busch rallied back to a 12th place finish after having to replace the shocks in his #5 machine. July 23, 2006
Race Recap: Hamlin wins Cup race
Race Recap: Hamlin Makes it Back-to-Back Wins at Pocono Raceway
LONG POND, PA. -- It must take a lot to impress NASCAR Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Denny Hamlin.
The first-year NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series rookie driver for Joe Gibbs totally dominated the field Sunday at Pocono International Raceway and calmly said it was a "pretty uneventful" day afterwards.
Hamlin crossed the finish line first for the second time this season at Pocono and was comfortably ahead of runner-up Kurt Busch. Hamlin also won the first race of the season at Pocono and is now batting two for two at the tricky Pennsylvania tri-oval. This is the first year he has ever raced at Pocono.
Neither Busch, a former champion, nor third-place finisher Jeff Gordon, a four-time champion, could mount a charge to get past Hamlin as he led lap after lap in his No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet.
While it might have seemed uneventful for Hamlin, the race produced some high level drama between two-time champion Tony Stewart and the sport's back-flipping young star, Carl Edwards. Stewart was penalized for aggressive driving after an altercation with rookie Clint Bowyer that caused some damage to Edwards and Kyle Busch, who were caught up in the accident. Edwards was also penalized after he came into the pits on Stewart's bumper and turned the two-time champion around with a tap in the rear end.
Stewart came back to finish seventh, behind Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Gordon, Brian Vickers, Kevin Harvick, and Jimmie Johnson. Trailing Stewart in the top 10 were Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., teammate Martin Truex. Earnhardt himself went home early, victim of a crash that made his car un-repairable. He wound up finishing 43rd and dropped out of the top 10 in the points.
Johnson continues to lead the Race for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship in which the top 10 drivers in the point standings following the 26th race of the season at Richmond International Raceway qualify for the championship playoff-style final 10 races. Former champion Matt Kenseth remains in second spot in the points after a top 15 finish Sunday and Burton is in third. Kyle Busch is fourth and Harvick is fifth. Mark Martin is sixth, Kasey Kahne seventh, Hamlin eighth, Gordon ninth and Stewart tenth.
The series has an open weekend before heading for Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400. July 23, 2006
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